Additive engineering enables efficient, stable perovskite solar cells

Perovskite solar cells can achieve power conversion efficiencies as high as 25 percent, nearly comparable to commercialized silicon photovoltaics. However, reducing the defect density in perovskite films is necessary to ensure long-term stability and efficiency. By including additional materials in the perovskite solution during manufacture, additive engineering can address these issues.

Lee and Park described how the chemical interaction of an additive with perovskite precursors can control crystal growth kinetics in a solar cell. Compared to a precursor solution without additives, the technique makes bigger perovskite grains and better crystallinity. This decreases the number of recombination centers in the solar cell, which normally lead to current leakage and noise.

“Defects caused by imperfect crystals or low crystallinity can deteriorate photovoltaic performance,” said author Nam-Gyu Park. “Additive engineering can lead to high crystallinity of perovskite via kinetic control of crystal growth, reducing defects and enhancing photovoltaic performance.”

In a photovoltaic, defects can also facilitate degradation. Controlling them is therefore important for maintaining stability over time.

“Perovskite solar cells already surpass the efficiencies of some well-known thin film solar cells,” said Park. “If long-term stability is guaranteed, we can begin to see them in the market.”

The team hopes their work will be helpful for improving perovskite solar cell efficiency and stability. In the future, they intend to analyze the origins of instability in perovskite films and explore more efficient tandem solar cell structures.

Source: “Additive engineering for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells,” by Do-Kyoung Lee and Nam-Gyu Park, Applied Physics Reviews (2023). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0097704 .

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